Spraying appliance



Sept. 8, 1953 s. cUADRAs 2,651,544

SPRAYING APPLIANCE Filed May 29,` 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l Attorney.

Inventor:

Sept. 8, 1953 s. CUADRAS 2,651,544

SPRAYING APPLIANCE Filed May 29, 1950 I 2 vSheets-Sheet 2 Inventor:

Patented Sept. 8, 1953 SPRAYING APPLIANCE Salvador Cuadras,Saint-Leu-la-Foret, France,

assignor to Holbrein S. A., Geneva, Switzerland, a corporation ofSwitzerland Application May 29, 1950, Serial No.v164,941 In France June9, 1949 13 claims. 1

The present invention relates to liquid spraying or atomizing devices,and particularly to a device of the described character which may beconveniently attached to the mouth opening of a container.

An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid spraying oratomizing device for attachment to the mouth opening of a containerwhich includes a duct in part defining an intermediate chamber,preferably lled with an absorbent material, and manually actuatablemeans for placing the duct in communication with the associatedcontainer, andwherein the device is constructed and arranged sc.,that afirst lactuation of the manually actuable means, with the container inan inverted or overturned condition, causes filling of the intermediatechamber with liquid from the container, and .a subsequent actuation ofthe manually actuatable means produces a stream of air effective todischarge the liquid from the intermediate chamber into the atmospherein the form of an .atomized spray and without regard to the position ofthe container during such subsequent actuation.

A further object is to provide a spraying or atomizing device having theforegoing characteristics and wherein leakage of liquid from theassociated container is positively prevented until the manuallyactuatable means is actuated so that the container `and atomizing devicemay be stored, for example, in luggage, in an inverted position withoutthe risk of damaging surrounding articles of wearing apparel by reasonof leakage from the container.

In accordance with the present invention, the

above objects are achieved by providing a spraying or atomizing devicewhich comprises a body member attachable in the manner of a cap or plugto a container and constituting a cylinder, a piston member sealinglyslidable in this cylinder and subjected to the action of a spring, anaxial duct rigid. with the piston and slidable in a bore formed at thebase of the plug, ya part of said duct forming an intermediate chamberin which fluid from the container may be stored, said chamber beingsupplied from the container through a valve member which is normallysealed when said piston is subjected to the action of its spring in idlecondition, .and an airvent or port providing communication from saidduct to the space enclosed by said cylinder and piston, The axial ductis formed near its inner end with a lateral supply aperture in its wallwhich is normally sealed by the adjacent wall of the bore but is adaptedto be put into communication with the interior of the container upondepression of the piston and the duct is sealed by a valve member whichnormally seals the inner end of said bore, said valve member beingpreferably in the form of a valve head provided with a seal ring anddefined by the head of a screw-plug rotatable to adjust the effectivepassage area of said supply aperture. The abovementioned air-port ispreferably formed in the sidewall of the duct in a restricted portionthereof adjacent to its mouth opening.

The objects, features and advantages of the invention will become fullyapparent from a study of the ensuing description relating to someexemplary embodiments of the invention given by way of example andnot oflimitation with reference to the accompanying drawings in for instancein a, portable perfume atomizer; and

Fig. 5 is an axial sectional view of still another vembodiment of thepresent invention.

As shown in Fig. 1, the improved spraying device may be provided in thegeneral form of a cylindrical assembly adapted for attachment, in themanner of a plug or cap, to the mouth of a container such as a bottle orflask l for example by screwing an internally-threaded central baseportion 3 of the assembly over the threaded neck 2 of the bottle with alseal ring 4 interposed between the neck 2 and the base portion 3. Theend wall 5 of 4the base part 3 is formed with a boss 5 provided with anaxial bore 'l tted with -a seal ring 3 and adapted to receive therein anaxially slidable tube to be described later. Crimped in the bottomperiphery of the base portion 3 there is a generally cylin'dricconcentrical shell 9 which provides an external cylinder in which anactuating member -or piston is slidable.

In the present instance this actuating piston is provided in the form ofa press-formed cupmember l0 formed at its open base with spaced slots Ilhaving enlarged ends so as to dene resilient teeth I2 between theadjacent slots. Over the vertical extent of these slots the outersurinto the duct I9.

face of the piston I0 is provided with .an annular coating of a mouldedplastic material I3 such as synthetic rubber or the like anchored in theslots and providing a suitable backing or contact surface against theinner surface of the cylindrical shell 9. The end wall of the piston issubstantially at and is subjected to the upwardly directed yieldableforce exerted by a coil spring I4 which is seated against the bottomwall of the cylinder or shell 9. The end wall of the piston I0 is shownformed with an annular seating surface for a label or indicating elementI5 and further with a central reentrant depression I6 which provides thedischarge opening'of the spray device. Secured in this discharge openingI6 s a duct I1 which is formed in its side wall near its outer ordischarge end with a port I8 providing communication at all timesbetween the inside of the duct II and the space or enclosure deinedbetween the cylinder 9 and the piston IIJ. The duct I1, which iscomparatively restricted in cross-section, is extended by a section I9of substantially wider diameter slidable in the previously-mentionedbore 'I in the base or plug portion 3 of the assembly. The lower end ofthe n duct section I9 is internally threaded and receives a screw 2l)which thus seals the duct. The screw 20 is formed with a head 2| fittedWith a seal ring 22 and provides av valve head normally sealing the bore1, being seated against the lower surface of the end wall 5 of the baseor plug portion 3 under the action of the spring I4 which acts upwardlyagainst the top of the piston. The larger-diameter section I9 of theduct denes an intermediate chamber and is formed with a supply aperture23 in its side wall near its lower end; the aperture 23 being normallysealed by the seal ring 8 of the bore 1 when the piston I0 is in itsuppermost, idle, position with the valve 2I in scaling engagement withthe wall 5, and the useful area of the aperture 23 may be adjusted byscrewing the screw-plug 20 more or less deeply The wider section I9 ofthe duct which forms an'internal storage or intermediate chamber ispreferably lled with a body of absorbent material 24 such ascotton-wool, a wick, or the like.

The device operates as follows:

With the container I full of liquid and so long as the piston I9 is notactuated or manually depressed into the cylinder 9, the valve-head 2l isapplied against its seat and the container is and remains perfectlysealed. When it is desired to spray liquid, the flask is grasped in onehand, with two lingers resting on the top of the piston I0 to eitherside of the discharge outlet I6. The flask is then turned upside, whilepressing down on the piston to cause the latter to telescope into thecylinder or shell 9. This causes the air contained in thecylinder-and-piston enclosures to escape through the port I8 and ductI'I out through the outlet I 6. At the same time the valve 2I isunseated and the aperture 23 clears the inner or entrance end of thebore, providing a communication from the interior of the container tothe duct I9. Liquid flows through the aperture and wets the absorbentfilling 24 in the duct I9. When the piston is released, the valve head2I returns to its seated position and the aperture 23 is again closed bythe seal ring 8, but this time the wick or lling 24 is impregnated withliquid. As the piston rises again in response to the force exerted bythe spring I4 air again enters the enclosure between the piston I9andthe cylindrical shell 9. With the bottle now held in any desiredposition, if the piston is once more depressed, the air is compressed bythe downward or telescoping motion of the piston I9 and escapes throughthe small diameter port i8, inducing within the duct I'I-I9 a suctionwhich draws out and discharges in an atomized spray part of the liquidimpregnating the wick or absorbent filling 24. If the second actuationof the piston is elected with the bottle upside down, the wick againbecomes impregnated and the spraying operation can be continued as longas there is any liquid remaining in the bottle. However, if the bottleis in its normal upright position when the piston I0 is depressed forthe second time, liquid from the container cannot re-enter the duct toagain wet the wick and only the amount of liquid that impregnated thewick can be sprayed before the container is again inverted to replenishthe supply of liquid in the wick or filling 24.

It will thus be seen that the large-diameter section I9 of the duct actsas an intermediate or storage chamber which may be supplied with liquidto be sprayed by depressing the piston while holding the bottle upsidedown, but which even then remains practically isolated from thecontainer throughout the greater part of the pistons travel. With aproper relative dimensioning between the size of the intermediatechamber IS and that of the cylinder 9, a metering device may beobtained, the supply of liquid in the intermediate chamber becomingexhausted at the end of any predetermined number of actuations of thepiston. It should be noted that the rate of intake of air is alwayssuicient to enable normal and free outilow of the liquid from thecontainer into and through the duct II-I9 when the valve head 2l isunseated and the aperture 23 is opened. On the other hand, the suctioninduced in the duct by the escape of air from the cylinder through theport IS is not applied within the container by reason of the lling 24within the chamber or duct portion I9., but only within thecomparatively restricted capacity of the duct Il itself in which itsaction is accordingly extremely efficient. This ensures that thespraying operation is very satisfactory.

Moreover, and this is an essential advantage of the invention, thecontainer is hermetically sealed automatically and in a perfectlypositive and safe manner when not in use, without requiring anyadditional manipulation to achieve this purpose as do conventionalsprayers. Thus, in the form of embodiment described above, this sealingfunction is performed. by the valve head 2l which, upon release. of thepiston I D, is imme- Idiately applied against its seating by the pistonspring I4.

In the above-described embodiment of the invention, discharge in theform of spray of the liquid impregnating the absorbent lling 24 in theintermediate chamber I 9 was accomplished, as stated, by the suctioninduced adjacent to the outlet of the duct by the expulsion of air. Itis also within the scope of the invention to produce the sprayingdischarge by a stream of air delivered into the base of the duct. Suchan arrangement is shown in Fig. 2, wherein the parts corresponding tothose of Fig. l are identified by the same reference numerals with theletter "a appended thereto. As shown, the duct part I9a is formed withan air-port 25 at a point thereof somewhat above the part of the ductinserted into the bore la; however, the upper port I8 may still beretained herein to serve as an auxiliary with its diameter beingsubstantially restricted relatively to that of the main port 25. Thesupply aperture, which in Fig. 2 has been shown, merely by way ofexample, in the form of a duct 26 formed through the screw 26a and whichmay have the area of its inlet adjusted by rotation of the screw, mustinA this case be provided with a check-valve shown simply as a ball 21seated in a recess 28 surrounding the outlet of said duct 26. Thecheck-valve is necessary in the arrangement of Fig. 2 because of thenecessity to prevent passage of air from the lower aperture through thelower rather than the upper end of the duct.

As in the first embodiment, the duct |9a is supplied with liquid whenthe flask is overturned and the piston lila is depressed, the ball 21then being unseated by gravity. After the wick 24a has become saturatedwith lifjuid, this liquid can then be sprayed by a few rapid strokes ofpressure imparted to the piston Illa. Each time the piston goes down,compressed air from the enclosure dened by the piston Illa and thecylinder 9a enters the duct |9a through the aperture 25 and liquid isdischarged both by the pressure of this air and by the suction createdtowards the outlet of the duct by the air passing through the auxiliaryport |8a. The latter port may in som cases be omitted.

As shown in Fig. 3, a similar device may be applied to the bottom ratherthan to the top of a container, such as, for example, a vinegar or anoil cruet. In this embodiment, a part 29, made of a moulded plastic forexample and comprising both the body of the plug for attachment to thecontainer and the cylinder, is screwed to the bottom outlet of acontainer with a seal 3| interposed between the4 container outlet andthe part 29. The piston herein is provided by a leather cup member 32secured to the top of a part 33 forming a stand or base, the member 32being clamped against the part 33 by the flange 34 of a tube 35 whichprovides the axial duct and is secured to the base 33 by a threadedconnection 36. The ilange 34 is formed with holes 31 and the base 33 isformed with ducts 38 extending angularly from the holes 31 and openinginto the end of an axial duct 39 of restricted diameter which connectsthe duct with a discharge outlet 40 for the sprayed liquid. It will beseen that the ducts 39 and 35 are functionally equivalent to the ductsl1 and I9, respectively, of Fig. l. The duct 35 which is rigid with thestand-and-piston assembly 33-32 defines an intermediate or storagechamber and contains absorbent lling 4|. The duct 35 is axially slidablein a bore 42 in the bottom of the plug 29, and is sealed at its endremote from the base 39 by a screw 43 provided with a conical head whichforms the valve member for sealing the bore 42. A port 44 is provided inthe wall of the duct 35 adjacent the screw 43 and is normally sealed butprovides communication between the container and the interior of duct 35when the piston 32 is moved into the cylindrical body 29. A spring 45normally maintains the container in raised condition relatively to thebase and accordingly retains the valve 43 in its seated condition.

When the stand is raised relatively to the container 36, the piston 32is forced into the cylinder 29 and the hole 44 is uncovered within thecon,- tainer, thus enabling liquid to enter and impregnate the wick 4|.Ay subsequent movement of the piston 32 into the cylinder 29 expels airfrom the cylinder through the ducts 38 and 6 causes liquid to besprayedl downwardly from: the outlet 40 at the center of the stand,V theliquid impregnating the wick 4| being drawn through the duct 39 bysuction induced by the air owing through the ducts 38.

Fig. 4 illustrates a form of the invention as embodied in a travellingkatomizer or perfume sprayer or the like. The body of the atomizer orcontainer is adapted to receive at its top a sprayer plug 41 whichaccording to the invention has a cylindrical outer wall forming anextension of the side walls of the cylindrical container. In theconstruction shown, the container body is in two parts, the plug` 41being retained in position by a flange extending radially fromV the topof a entral part 48 which is screwed into a boss 46a formed centrally'onthe top wall of a cylindrical outer container part 46. The central part48 has a long tube 49 reaching down to a level near the bottom of thecontainer. A hollow piston member 56 is slidable in the plug 41 andurged upwards by a spring 5| and terminates in an` enlarged top or head52 which may be pro`- vided with any desired ornamental pattern and isformed with a laterally-projecting outlet 53 instead of the axial outletof the previouslydescribed embodiments. A duct 54 formed in the body ofthe piston head 52 provides for the ow of air between the space definedby the plug 41 and piston 50 and the outlet 53. A radially extendingspray tube 55 extends into the outlet 53 and branches-off from a centraltube 56 which is slidable in the tube 49 and is provided at its bottomend with a valve 51 normally sealing the end of the tube 49. Extendingthrough the piston head 52 at the side of the latter diametricallyopposed to the outlet tube 55 there is a hole 58 provided with a screwplug 59 removal of which allows insertion of a pricker probe into saidcutlet tube in the event the latter should become clogged. The duct 56which provides the intermediate or supply chamber for the sprayingliquid contains a wick or absorbent lling 66 and is provided near itsbottom end with a supply aperture 6| normally covered up by the tube 49.

In each of the above described embodiments, the spraying outlet or oriceis formed in the movable part of the air pumping or compressingassembly. However, if desired, the spraying outlet may be provided inthe relatively stationary part of the air pumping assembly, as shown inFig. 5.- In the embodiment of Fig.' 5, a plug or body 62 is formed witha threaded y,cylindrical recess for receiving the threaded neck of acontainer 63. The body 62 is formed with a central bore 64 extendingaxially therethrough and slidably receiving a stem 65 which has a valvehead 66 on its lower end for seating against the bottom of the body 62within the cylindrical recess of the latter. The body 62 has a bellows61 extending thereabove, and a cylinder 68 is slidable on the bellows 61andhas the stem 65 secured thereto so that, as the cylinder 68 is workedup and down on the bellows, the stem 65 and valve 61, the air inside thebellows is compressed and the valve head 66 is moved away fromitsseated' position.

The body 62is formed with a discharge passage or duct 69 openingradially outward and comastucia,

municating with an intermediate supply chamber. 10 `which opens into thebore 64 and is filled with a wick or absorbent filling 1l. A recessorcavity l2 is formed in thesurface of the stem S5 in registry with theintermediate supplychamber l and is dimensioned to selectively place thelatter in communication with either the interior Yoi the bellows B1 orthe interior of the kcontainer 63, as the stem 65 is displaced bydepression of the cylinder 68. That is, when the cylinder 68 is in itsraised (illustrated) position, the cavity 12 places the chamber l0 incommunication with the interior of the' bellows 6l` so that initialdepression of the cylinder 68, compressing the air in the bellows,causes the compressed air to flow through the chamber for dischargingthe liquid stored in the absorbent filling 'H through the duct 69 in theform of an atomized spray. When the cylinder 68 is fully depressed, thecavity 12 ceases to be in communication with the interior of the bellowsEl and opens into the interior of the container and the chamber 'it sothat the contents of the container 63 can then ow into the intermediatesupply chamber l0 when the container is inverted or overturned.

Finally, the bellows 61 is formed with an inturned ange or lip 13 alongits upper edge, and the top wall of the cylinder B8 has openings 'i4therein in positions normally covered by the flange 13. When thecylinder is Vdepressed lto an extent interrupting the communicationbetween the interior of the bellows E1 and the cavity 12, the distortionof the bellows turns the flange 13 away from the top wall of thecylinder 58 to open the openings 14 for communicating the interior ofthe bellows with the atmosphere so that the cylinder 68 may be furtherdepressed.

While illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described indetail and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to beunderstoodthat the present invention is not limited to these preciseembodiments andv that various changes and modiiications may be madetherein without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. Spraying attachment of the type described adaptable to a containeropening, said attachment comprising a deformable enclosure including afixed and a depressible part spring-urged to expanded condition, a ductrigid with said depressible part and extending at one end toward saidcontainer, means dening a valve seat on said iixed part of theenclosure, valve means carried by said duct for engaging said valve seatand sealing said duct from communication with the interior of saidcontainer in the expanded condition of the enclosure, and being removedfrom said seat to provide communication from the container to said oneend of the duct in the contracted condition of the enclosure, absorbentmeans in said duct to receive an amount of the containers contentsintroduced into the duct by a first contraction of the enclosure whenthe spraying attachment is disposed with said one end of the ductuppermost so that said duct provides an intermediate capacity for thestorage of the thereby received amount of the containers contents, andair-passage means between the enclosure and the duct whereby a renewedcontraction of the enclosure causes a discharge of air from theenclosure through the duct effective to discharge in the form of spraysaid amount stored in the intermediate capacity.

2. Spray device as in claim 1 including a part for plugging thecontainer opening and having:v

a bore formed therethrough in which said duct issldable, a supplyaperture in the side of the duct adjacent said one end thereof, saidaperture being normally sealed by said plugging part but communicatingwith the interior of the container on depression of said depressiblepart, and wherein said valve seat means is formed by the face oi saidplugging part directed toward the interior of the container, and saidvalve means includes a head at said one end of the duct normallysealingly applied against said face oi the plugging part.

3. Spray device as in claim 2 wherein said valve head is the head of ascrew having its stem screwed into said one end of the duct andadjustable axially in the latter to close said side aperture by aselected amount and thereby alter the useful area of said side-aperture.

4. Spray device as in claim 1 wherein said xed part of the deformableenclosure consists of a cylinder member rigid with a part for pluggingthe container opening and having a bore therethrough in which said ductis slidable, and said depressible part includes a piston member slidablein the top of the cylinder and spring-urged to its expanded position.

5. Spray device as in claim 4 wherein said piston member is in the formof an inverted cup member formed with resiliency-increasing slotsextending from the free end of the cup over a predetermined verticalextent, and a resilient annular coating surrounding the piston over saidextent, said coating being a moulded plastic anchored in said slots,providing a sliding seal surface engaging the inner wall of the cylindermember.

6. Spray device as in claim 1 wherein said duct includes a restrictedportion at the opposite end thereof terminating in a discharge orificeand said air-passage means comprise a port in the side wall of the ductin said restricted portion of the duct downstream of said absorbentmeans, whereby the discharge of air through said port when the enclosureis contracted acts by suction to draw out the amount of substance storedin the capacity.

7. Spray device as in claim 1 wherein said airpassage means comprise aport in the side wall of the duct adjacent to said one end of the duct,whereby the discharge of air through said port acts by pressure to forceout the amount of substance stored in the absorbent means, and ballcheck-valve means sealing said aperture against the entry of such air inthe direction from said duct.

8. Spray device as in claim 1 wherein the attachment is adapted to beattached to the bottom outlet of a container, said depressible partbeing rigid with the top of a stand for the assembly, so that saidenclosure is contracted when the stand is raised relatively to thecontainer.

9. Spray device as in claim 1 wherein the attachment is applied to aportable scentespray, said duct terminating in a lateral nozzle abovesaid depressible part and forming a spray discharge outlet.

10. Spray device as in claim 9 wherein said xed part includes a plug forclosing the container opening and having an extension in the form of atube reaching down to a level near the bottom Yof the container, and theduct rigid with said depressible part is a tube slidable in said tubularextension and provided with a valve head at its bottom engageable withthe lower end of said tubular extension to selectively open and closecommunication therethrough.

11. Spray device as in claim 1 wherein said depressible part includesmovable cylinder member having said discharge duct rigid with it andextending axially thereof, and said intermediate capacity is in the formof a flat cylindrical chamber at the top of said duct, with a dischargeoutlet from said chamber.

12. Spray device as in claim 1 wherein said fixed part includes a pistonmember for plugging the container opening and said depressible partincludes a movable cylinder slidable over said fixed piston member, andwherein the intermediate capacity is in the form of a horizontal chamberin the top face of said fixed piston plugging member and the sprayoutlet is in the form of a duct in said plugging member leading fromsaid chamber to a point below said cylinder member.

13. Spray device as in claim 1, wherein said xed part includes a pistonmember which has References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS Number Name Date 1,791,142 Mutschel et al. Feb. 3, 19312,069,352 Brookshire et al Feb. 2, 1937 2,275,666 Wilson Mar. 10, 1942FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 308,255 Great Britain Dec. 19, 1928313,532 Great Britain May 1, 1930

